Masonic Muscle

Who owns the history of Freemasonry? In EP 117 of Masonic Muscle , I argue that the origins, history, traditions, customs, and symbols of the Craft belong to all serious Masons willing to study, question, compare, and do the work. Masonic history does not belong only to scholars, academics, or self-appointed experts. It belongs to the Brothers willing to read. This episode asks: How can Masons str...

      Did the Ancient Mystery Schools shape Freemasonry? In this episode of Masonic Muscle , we examine the connections people often make between Freemasonry, ancient mysteries, pyramids, sacred geometry, ancient temples, Atlantis theories, the Eye of the Sahara, and the deeper question of where Masonic symbolism may have come from. This is the kind of topic that attracts curiosity fast — but it a...

What is the real cost of rebuilding a Masonic lodge? In EP 115 of Masonic Muscle , we continue Part 6 of the Palm Springs Lodge No. 693 rebuild story. This episode takes us to August 2022 , right before one of our regular Executive Committee meetings, and explains why we wanted to record these conversations in the first place. Some points repeat because the issues overlap. That is what happens whe...

What does it mean when a Masonic lodge gets its charter suspended? This episode turns a serious lodge crisis into a case study about standards, authority, leadership failure, responsibility, and what can happen when problems inside a lodge are not handled properly. This is not gossip. This is a warning. Write to masonicmuscle357@gmail.com with your questions about lodge leadership, standards, or M...

Is the skull and bones an evil symbol? In EP 113 of Masonic Muscle , Darkness and I get a good workout while watching Monday Night Football between the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos , and that somehow leads me to an article on the skull and bones. That is how Masonic Muscle works. Training, football, symbolism, and Freemasonry. I read an article titled “The Symbol of the Skull and Bones and...

Why do Masonic lodge rebuilds fail? In EP 112 of Masonic Muscle , we continue Part 5 of the Palm Springs Lodge No. 693 rebuild story and move into one of the biggest disruptions any lodge had to face: Covid-19 . On March 18, 2020 , our lodge leadership held an emergency meeting after hearing that New York lodges were locking down and that other jurisdictions would likely follow. Soon after, the Gr...

Were any of the early strongmen from the 1900s through the 1950s Masons? In EP 111 of Masonic Muscle , I ask listeners to help investigate whether any of the old-time strongmen, physical culturists, lifters, and Iron Game pioneers had Masonic connections. If you know something, send it to me. Then I read a small portion of the Catholic Encyclopedia article on Freemasonry from 1910 and share what i...

What is the hidden work required to rebuild a Masonic lodge? In EP 110 of Masonic Muscle , Rain Man and I continue Part 4 of the Palm Springs Lodge No. 693 rebuild story. This time, we get into the work most people do not see: meals, officers, meaningful degrees, member experience, financial responsibility, and the problem of wearing too many hats. Rain Man explains how many roles he carried durin...

What happens when Masonic lodge leadership breaks down? In EP 109 of Masonic Muscle , Rain Man and I continue Part 3 of the story of Palm Springs Lodge No. 693 and the hard work a small group of Brothers took on when we committed to helping the lodge get back to health. This part of the story gets rough. A microburst hits Palm Springs. The lodge floods. Activities stop. The Grand Lodge project man...

How do five Masons begin rebuilding a struggling lodge? In EP 108 of Masonic Muscle , Rain Man and I pick up where we left off in the story of Palm Springs Lodge No. 693 and the fight to rebuild Masonic culture from the inside. After a stated meeting, we have a serious conversation in the lodge library. Rain Man tells me that no one wants to serve as an officer if the current Master is nominated a...

My pick: How Five Masons Tried to Save a Struggling Lodge — Part 1 This is strong already. It tells the listener there is a story, a problem, and a fight worth hearing. Optimized Description How do five Masons try to save a struggling lodge? In EP 107 of Masonic Muscle , we begin Part 1 of the story of Palm Springs Lodge No. 693 , the good years, the decline, the chaos, the Brothers who cared, and...

What happens when Grand Lodge politics, Masonic law, and lodge integrity collide? In EP 106 of Masonic Muscle , I read and discuss a Facebook post attributed to Texas Past Grand Master Brad Billings , describing alleged charges, internal conflict, and tension among Texas Masonic leadership after the excitement generated by the 2022 team. This episode is not just about Texas. It connects directly t...

Power Trip Day One is here. In EP 105 of Masonic Muscle , I talk about motivation, exercise, study, heavy metal, Iron Maiden , Anderson’s Constitutions , and the ancient genealogy found in one of Freemasonry’s most important documents. This episode begins with a simple message: Train your body. Study the Craft. Keep improving. That is Masonic Iron Works. Pumping Masonic iron. Strengthening our und...

Every Mason has heard of Anderson’s Constitutions. Almost no Mason has seriously studied it. That is a problem. In EP 104 of Masonic Muscle , I talk about exercise, Power Trip being here, and then get into one of the most important documents ever written by a Mason for Masonry worldwide: Anderson’s Constitutions of the Free-Masons. Every lodge and every serious Mason should spend time studying thi...

What can early Masonic pamphlets teach us about Freemasonry? In EP 103 of Masonic Muscle , I follow up on some thoughts from Graham Hancock on the Joe Rogan Experience and connect that broader conversation about ancient history, memory, and lost knowledge to the Masonic world. Then I talk about Christopher B. Murphy and his work on Anderson’s Constitutions and early Masonic documents. This episode...

Does the Masonic past belong only to scholars and academics? In EP 102 of Masonic Muscle , I share some thoughts on Joe Rogan Experience episode #1897 with Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson , and how that conversation connects to the Masonic world. The bigger question is this: Should Masons allow the history, origins, traditions, customs, and symbols of Freemasonry to belong only to the so-called...

What did the ancient Greek philosophers seek in Egypt? In EP 101 of Masonic Muscle , I continue the journey into the Ancient Mystery Schools of Egypt and ask why so many seekers, philosophers, and students of wisdom were drawn to Egypt in search of hidden knowledge, initiation, and profound teaching. Many Greek philosophers were said to have traveled for years hoping to be accepted into the Egypti...

What can Chichen Itza teach us about Mystery Schools, Freemasonry, and the value of time? In EP 100 of Masonic Muscle , I talk about our adventure at Chichen Itza , send a shout-out to Jesus Marquez , and connect the experience to ancient Mystery Schools, Egypt, Masonic symbolism, lodge standards, and the current state of Freemasonry. This episode asks a hard question: What is the most precious th...

Did the Egyptian Mystery Schools require physical strength? In EP 99 of Masonic Muscle , we continue exploring the possible connections between the ancient mystery schools, physical preparation, leadership, and the origins of Freemasonry. What did a man have to do to enter the Egyptian Mystery Schools? Was he chosen because of who he knew? Was he chosen by pedigree? Was he selected because he was...

What exercise makes a Master Mason strong enough to wield the Master’s gavel? In this episode of Masonic Muscle , I ask a hard question: Are the men sitting in the East strong enough to lead? Some Masters are strong. Some are weak. Most are mediocre at best. That is not an insult. That is an assessment. If a Master Mason wants to sit in the East, he needs more than a title, a jewel, and a chair. H...

Did the ancient Egyptian Mystery Schools require strength? In EP 96 of Masonic Muscle , we continue Part 3 of the Pagan Mystery Origins of Freemasonry and connect it to the history of physical fitness. The ancient Egyptians did not just build temples and pyramids. They also trained. They lifted weights, used physical tests, and according to some accounts, used sandbags as a test of strength. If yo...

12 Origin Theories of Freemasonry. The Pagan Origins of Freemasonry and the History of Physical Fitness.   Ancient Times prepare for war – 4000 BC. There is clear evidence that ancient civilizations and empires used exercise to strengthen their soldiers and prepare for war. They needed a bigger, stronger, faster soldier to have an edge over their enemies. Ancient Egypt used weightlifting to accomp...

The quarry is more than a poetic Masonic metaphor. It is where rough stones are worked, shaped, tested, and improved. In this episode, I talk about the real quarry of lodge life: leadership, Brotherhood, education, commitment, frustration, and the work required to build better men. Freemasonry is not supposed to be passive. It is supposed to work on you. Write to masonicmuscle357@gmail.com and tel...

Did Freemasonry come from the Pagan Mysteries ? In this episode of Masonic Muscle , we begin Theory #2 from the 12 origin theories of Freemasonry listed in the Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia of 1877: the theory that Freemasonry derives from the ancient Pagan Mysteries. We also read an email from listener and Worshipful Master Jamey Sterrett of Temple Lodge No. 70 A.F. & A.M. in Texas . The stars sh...

Do Masons care about the history of their own Order? In EP 92 of Masonic Muscle , I continue Part 4 of the Patriarch Theory from the 12 origin theories of Freemasonry — the theory that Freemasonry descends from the Patriarchs of the Old Testament. This episode was recorded from a hotel room in Tijuana , where I had a strong conversation with Brother Matt Jackson , a Fellow Craft Mason from Palm Sp...